The Scarecrow's Flower
by joanfrias
Summary: Inspired by Naruto Shippūden episode 191: Kakashi Love Song; a KakaHana fanfiction.
1. Prologue

How many nights has she been running? How long has she been like this? Hanare does not know the answer to those questions. She doesn't even have the time to think about the answers. What's important is for her to get away from the three men that has been trying to catch her.

She doesn't even know where she is right now. The last definite location that she remembers is the Tanzaku Quarters. She has been working there for three months, when suddenly, those three men came to capture her.

She went inside the forest. For days she has been seeing trees and plants and some wild animals, too. But it's easier to escape from a wild beast than fight those three men that had been pursuing her.

Maybe, she still has Lady Luck on her side. She got away from them when she jumped off a cliff. It wasn't that steep anyway. She didn't die, but instead got some bruises, but no major injuries. Just a broken bone on her right leg, but she'll manage.

She saw a cave and decided to go and hide there. She leaned on a rock formation on the cave floor. She feels so tired that she could not continue running anymore.

Aside from exhaustion, she's also starving. She could not remember when the last time she ate anything was. She focused on running away from those three men than looking for anything to satisfy her hunger and quench her thirst.

Never mind. Tomorrow, when she had rested for the night, that will be her next priority. She will find something to eat and look for a river where she could drink. That is if she will not be found by those men that were hunting her. But she feels so tired to think about that, and the only thing that she wants to do now is to sleep.

The sun is high when she woke up. She still feels weak even though she had slept the whole night. She feels her chakra is still not fully restored. Maybe it's because she wasn't able to eat yet.

She has been on long missions before where she doesn't have much time to rest. But even so, on those occasions she has enough to eat and drink. That is why even with not enough sleep, her strength and chakra are easily restored on those long missions. Unlike now.

She could feel the pain on her right leg. But even if her whole body is getting numb, she still managed to stand up. She has to look for something to eat and drink. She's aware that she could die any moment – given her situation right now – but she will not die without putting up a fight.

And it seems luck has never left her yet. She immediately saw a clean river. She went and drank on it. She then contemplated on where on earth she could be right now. She's aware that she's still on the Land of Fire. She just doesn't know what part of the country is that forest located.

She then thinks of ways how she could find food. She looked around and saw some fruit trees. She also thought of hunting inside the forest. But before she could decide on what to do, the three men pursuing her already found her.

"Is the water refreshing?" asked the tallest man in the group. He is also the leanest among the three.

The other guy has an average weight and height. The third one is the smallest among the three, but he's the biggest when it comes to size. They all wear the same ninja outfit – black long-sleeved shirt with matching pants and black open-toes boots. They have forehead protector with the symbol for the Land of Keys, and their mouths are covered with half masks.

Hanare slowly stood up. _Here we go again._ She prepared herself for the battle that's about to happen.

"And she's ready to fight!" said the shortest guy.

"Maybe she had enough rest last night," said the average guy.

"Well then, let's see how well you've rested," said the tallest guy.

Hanare suddenly remembered what day it is.

 _March 19._

It's her birthday. She smirked.

 _Happy birthday to me, then,_ she thought as she changed her stance and anticipated the coming attack.


	2. Chapter 1

"So, Kakashi-sensei, you and Kahyō… Is it really just like that?"

Kakashi looked at Sakura. She glanced at him, too. And then, Naruto's face also turned to him. The three of them are walking on the streets of the Hidden Leaf Village, and they are headed to their favourite ramen shop to eat some hot ramen soup.

"What do you mean?" Kakashi asked his former student.

"I mean, are you really just… friends? No, not really friends. Something more causal. Like, acquaintances," Sakura answered.

"And, what's wrong with that?" Kakashi asked.

"Yeah, Sakura. What's wrong with being friends?" Naruto seconded.

"Ugh! You really are such an idiot! Don't you really get it? Kahyō is just Kakashi-sensei's friend. That means they are not lovers," Sakura said.

"Yeah, I know that. I just made all those gossip about them. But they are not really lovers or something," Naruto said.

And it just made Sakura more pissed. "You really are hopeless."

"I just don't get why you fuss about it that much, you know." Naruto looked at Sakura.

"Well, you really should be concerned about it because Kakashi-sensei is now on his thirties and it's high time for him to get married and have his own family. But, tadah! He doesn't even have a girlfriend," Sakura explained.

Kakashi was terrified at what Sakura said. How did the subject came to his own love life? Or maybe, it was about it all along he just didn't expect it that's why he was shocked.

"I get it now!" Naruto said, then turned to look at Kakashi again. "Sensei, when are you planning to get married and have a family?"

Now, Kakashi felt cornered. "Why do we have to talk about that now?"

"Like what I've just said, Kakashi-sensei, you are not getting any younger," Sakura said. "You should try to think of settling down before it's too late. You're the only surviving member of the Hatake clan, right? Aren't you thinking of getting married and having children of your own to revive your clan?"

Of course, he have thought about that a couple of times already. Or, did he really think about it? He could not remember.

"Sakura, it's not that easy to get married and have a family. You see, you have to look for someone to marry first. That, I think, is the hardest part of it," Kakashi said.

"But, is there really someone that you like?" Sakura asked. "I assume it's not Kahyō, because if you do like her, you might have done a move and made her your girlfriend."

"Or maybe, Kakashi-sensei is like Iruka-sensei. They are afraid of dating girls…" Naruto smirked at Kakashi.

"Wha! You two! As the Hokage, I am ordering that you refrain from discussing my personal matter, especially my love life, from this moment forward. That is an indefinite order."

"But Kakashi-sensei, we're just concerned for you. There are a lot of beautiful women here in the village. We also encountered a lot of beautiful kunoichi from the other villages during the war. Did you not see even a single woman that you would like?" Sakura asked.

"Sakura, a war is not a perfect place to look for love," Kakashi said.

"But, is there really no one out there?"

 _There's this woman…_

Kakashi did not dare say that to his former students. It's something that he was able to keep to himself for a long time now. Everything seems like a distant memory. A memory that one day will eventually fade and will forever leave him.

But right at that moment, the image of that green-haired woman still lives in his memories that it flashed in his mind as an answer to Sakura's plea.

Suddenly, a giant toad went running towards their way. It was so gigantic that Sakura was not able to stop her surprised scream.

The gigantic toad stopped and produced a cloud of dust.

"Chief Toad!" Naruto called out.

Kakashi recognized the toad as Gamabunta, Master Jiraiya and Naruto's summon toad. But, how did it come to the village without Naruto summoning it?

"Naruto, I need your help," said the giant toad.

"Huh?" Naruto looked taken aback.

The giant toad seems weak and wounded. Sakura went closer to him.

"What happened? Where did all those wounds come from?"

She was about to do her Mystical Palm Technique to heal the toad, but the latter stopped her.

"Don't worry about me. Treat her instead."

The big toad reached at his back, and after a few seconds, he was holding a woman that seems unconscious.

"Help her," Gamabunta said.

Sakura instantly went to the woman. Naruto also went to the lady to see who it was.

"Who is she, Chief Toad?" Naruto asked.

"That's Hanare."

Kakashi was stunned at what he heard. That time, Sakura was able to lay the woman properly on the floor, so Kakashi was able to see her face. He was astounded when he saw her face.

 _That woman…_

"Naruto, I do not really want to ask help from you," Gamabunta said. "But, please help Hanare. Please take care of her." Then, the giant toad looked at Kakashi. "Lord Sixth, please keep her safe."

Because Gamabunta is wounded, he immediately disappeared to return to Mount Myōboku, leaving the woman behind.

"Her vitals are low," Sakura announced, pertaining to the seemingly lifeless woman on the ground. "We have to take her to the hospital."

Without any more question, Naruto grabbed the woman and took her to the hospital. Sakura followed him and personally supervised the treatment of the said woman.

Kakashi is just on the background. He is still stunned at what is happening. He was just thinking about that woman a while ago. And now, she's in front of him, lifeless, and seems very vulnerable.

No, he could not be wrong. He could never be wrong. It really is that woman. He could still remember her sad face that moment when he asked her to go. It was a long time ago since that fateful day on the cliff, but Kakashi will never forget the face of that beautiful woman.

And now, she's here in front of her.

 _Hanare… How could it be?_

He never imagined it even just for once that he will again meet the only woman that has gotten him the moment that he first laid eyes on her.


	3. Chapter 2

Kakashi looked at the woman who is peacefully sleeping in the hospital bed. They took Hanare to Konoha Hospital and Sakura personally treated her. He and Naruto waited patiently. Soon after, Sai joined them. And after Sakura treated Hanare, they admitted her in a single private room.

"She's stable now," Sakura said to the three men. "She's out of danger, but she's very weak because it seems like she used almost all her chakra in whatever battle she has been. It will take some time before she could fully recover."

"I still don't get how she summoned Gamabunta," Naruto said.

"Naruto, it doesn't mean that only Master Jiraiya and his students could summon the creatures from Mount Myōboku. Maybe Gamabunta also signed a contract with her," Sakura said.

"But the way Chief Toad talked about her, it's very different. He is usually grumpy and highly apathetic. But with Hanare, he seems to care a lot," Naruto said.

"Maybe, it's because he was caught by this woman's charm," Sai commented.

"Yeah, she is really very beautiful," Sakura said.

 _Very beautiful indeed_. Kakashi could only agree with his former student's remark in his mind. He could not say anything. He still could not believe that Hanare is now in front of him. Is he daydreaming? No, this is real. Very real.

"But, I have this feeling that I've seen her before," Sakura said.

"Yeah. It's like we met her before," Naruto seconded.

Kakashi looked at the two. So, it seems they have already forgotten about that street performer that was caught by the Leaf's ANBU spying on their village. For sure he will have a hard time explaining to them about it if he ever tried.

And also, he will have a hard time making them understand why he still remembers that incident without them knowing that the memory of this woman has been kept inside his brain. And, honestly, his heart.

"Maybe you encountered her in one of your missions," Sai said to his two teammates.

"Yeah!" Naruto exclaimed. "Maybe she was a princess who we escorted before to make sure she's safe. She really looks like a princess, you know."

A princess from a faraway kindom. Kakashi liked that idea.

"Hanare… Even her name sounds familiar," Sakura said, once again falling into deep thinking.

"Or maybe, she was a criminal that you caught once," Sai said.

"A criminal? She's too beautiful to be a fugitive," Naruto said. "She looks like someone who could not do anything bad."

"Looks can be deceiving, they say," Sai said.

"But if she is a criminal that we captured, how come she's not in prison?" Sakura asked.

"Good point," Sai said. "But remember, a lot has happened. There was Pain's invasion to the Leaf. And then, the Great War. She might have escaped on one of those occasions."

"But if she is a criminal, why would she come back here?" Naruto asked. "I mean, does she want to go back to the village that detained her?"

Naruto is right. Kakashi is also thinking the same thing. Why would Hanare come back here in the village? She knows they treat her here as a criminal. If only people would remember her, they would immediately put her in prison.

What would be her reason to come back? Was it the same reason that she had the first time she came to the village? To infiltrate and gather valuable information? What happened to Konoha feeling like her home?

 _"I won't betray the place that I call home."_

Those questions continued to hunt Kakashi for the entire day. Why would Hanare come back in the Hidden Leaf? Maybe, she really felt like the Hidden Leaf is her home. That's why she did everything for her to go back here.

 _"What if I returned here? Not as a spy, but as a civilian who wants to live and experience the happy and peaceful life in the village?"_

That was the question that she asked him back then by the cliff.

 _"From now on, you will be considered as a missing-nin by your village. Even though you're here, you won't feel absolutely peaceful."_

 _Hanare looked at him. She seems to consider what he said. Then, she smiled._

 _"You're right. And, if I stay here and my village will come after me, I will tarnish the peace that the Hidden Leaf residents experience. I would not want that to happen. And so, I should never come back."_

 _That's not what he actually meant. Well, that's what he meant. But he himself is opposed to the idea that she will leave and not come back._

 _"But, if ever I do come back, I promise to do that fight that you are asking me. But I don't want do that, so… I promise I will never come back."_

 _Tears started flowing from Hanare's eyes, and in that moment, he wanted to come close to her, touch her lovely face and wipe away those tears and all the heartaches that the situation that they're at is causing her._

 _But he just can't._

 _"Goodbye, Kakashi. Thank you; for teaching me how to look at the sky and have hope; for showing me what it means to have a home; for believing in me, even though it's the hardest thing to do; and for…"_

 _Hanare looked at his eye. He could see the pain in those big brown eyes, but there's also something else. It's like joy in spite of the sorrow that she is feeling. And it could only mean one thing._

 _Love... He's sure of it._

 _Because that's what he also feels._

 _And with one last glance, Hanare jumped off the cliff._

That day, he felt as if something big was lost in his life. It's not only once did he thought of going out of the village to search for her. But maybe, it was for a good cause. She really needs to leave, and he really needed to let her go.

But she's _back._ Back in the village that they both call home. Back to _his_ life.

But again, the question remains. Why did she come back? What was her purpose this time? Did she really turned her back on her village since that day by the cliff? Looking back at how she looks like, it seems that she just came from a big fight. And if it's true that she really turned her back on her village, she should not be involved in any battle whatsoever. Because that's how civilian people live.

Did she get affiliated with other villages? Maybe… Some other village that is not part of the Shinobi Union, or else he would know it. Would he? He doesn't know all the shinobis that were members of the Union. But at least, he would get to work with her during the War.

And if ever she was in the last Great War, would she not even come and talk to him? Even just to say 'hi,' or maybe 'hello?' He doesn't want to sound and look pretentious, but if that look on her eyes that day by the cliff is really what he thought it was, then a simple 'hello' will not be too hard to do.

He looked around his office and saw the stack of papers around. Oh yeah. He's the Hokage now. The Rokudaime Hokage. A big responsibility rests on his shoulders, and he's not allowed to make decisions based on emotions or gut feelings. He has to be rational, objective, and somehow, skeptical.

Having Hanare back in the village really brought back a lot of memories – and long-concealed emotions – to him. The problem is, he could not succumb to these emotions as it might cause danger to the village that he needs to protect. How appealing it might sound, Hanare's comeback might impose danger to the Hidden Leaf. He has to be very careful about it. He has to take into consideration the safety of the village that she considers her home.


	4. Chapter 3

_It was the most wonderful afternoon that she had in her life. Hanare never thought that she will ever had such an afternoon, knowing that her life as a spy does not give her the privilege to enjoy life as such. But because of the assignment given to her by their village leader, she was able to experience that once in a lifetime afternoon stroll along the Hidden Leaf Village._

 _But all good things must come to an end. Because at that moment, Kakashi brought her back to the Konoha Intelligence Division to be detained for the night, or for how long it might take before she return to her own village._

 _"About what happened earlier…"_

 _Hanare looked at Kakashi, and in an instant, that moment when they accidentally kissed flashed on her mind. She blushed, and embarrassment made her look away._

 _"Don't worry about that," she said. "It was an accident, so…"_

 _"…Right."_

 _"Thank you," she said, looking at him again. "I enjoyed our trip around the village."_

 _"Well, I'm glad you liked what you saw."_

 _She nodded. "It was wonderful."_

 _Kakashi looked at her, and for a moment it felt as if he's looking through her soul. It seems that he finally unravelled everything that's inside her heart and mind. It made her quite uncomfortable._

 _"I have to go back now. Inside this 'stuffy' room," she said, repeating what he said to her earlier._

 _Kakashi just looked at her. She waited for him to say anything, but not a word came out of his masked mouth. Maybe, it's because of that shinobi who is guarding her that gives them the feeling that someone is watching them. It's like saying goodbye to your boyfriend for the night, but you can't say too much because your father is there watching the two of you._

 _Or maybe, he really have nothing to say. She finally turned her back on him and entered the interrogation room._

 _But he suddenly called her name._

 _"Hanare!"_

 _She turned and faced him. Again, she saw that poker face of him. No emotion, nothing to give him away. Even his right eye is blank._

 _But then, he suddenly said, "I had a great time. With you."_

 _She smiled. The door between them was closed, but that smile on her face seems to never go away. As she looks at the one-sided glass wall, she's sure that he is still there, watching her. It made her heart warm up with the thought._

 _'Kakashi Hatake…'_

 _She will never forget that name, and the man that owns it, for the rest of her life._

* * *

Hanare's vision was a blur when she woke up. She blinked her eyes to steady her vision. It seems that she is on a hospital room. The windows are opened, and the cold spring wind is blowing gracefully. The sun is beginning to set down the horizon.

"So, you're finally awake."

Still feeling weak, she turned her head to find out who spoke. And when she did, she was stunned.

It could have been five years… six years? She's not sure. But for so many years that had passed, he still looks like how she remembers him.

 _Kakashi Hatake._

"Based on your reaction, I'm pretty sure you can still remember me. Hanare…"

She would never forget him. He would always be in her memories, and she would not dare erase him from her mind's nooks whatever happens.

"How… How did I get here?" she asked while looking around the room.

"Gamabunta left you with us. We took you here in Konoha Hospital to treat your wounds."

 _Gamabunta._

She was actually feeling guilty for dragging the large toad into her problems. He even had to fight and suffer just to keep her safe.

"We were actually surprised that you know Gamabunta, that you can summon him, and it seems he really cares for you. He even asked us to take care of you."

Kakashi's demeanor felt as if he's accusing her of some crime that she did. It made her quite uncomfortable.

"H-He's a friend…" She looked away.

"The way that you look earlier, it seems like you just came from a battle. Did Gamabunta fight with you?"

"Why does it seem that you're interrogating me?"

"Why do you feel as such? Are you feeling guilty?"

Hanare looked at Kakashi. She was surprised at how he is acting towards her right now. What has happened to him? He has never been like this when they last met.

"Were you assigned to the Konoha Intelligence Division?"

"I just want to know."

"What do you want to know?"

Hanare's weak gaze landed on Kakashi's blank eyes. She noticed that unlike before, his forehead protector does not hide his left eye, the one with the sharingan. She can now see both his dark greys, and the scar on that left eye.

"Why did you come back here?"

She looked out the window. The beautiful sunset now glimmers on the horizon.

"Because for me, this is the only place that I consider my home. From the moment that I first got here, that time when your ANBU captured me, I felt that this is the place that I would want to spend the rest of my life with. I felt love, happiness, and most of all, acceptance."

She looked at him and gazed at his dark grey eyes.

"But why don't I feel as such now?"

It was Kakashi's turn to look out the window.

"A lot has changed. It's because a lot has happened. The Fourth Shinobi World War. And before that, Pain."

"Pain…" Hanare looked down.

Kakashi looked at her. "I'm quite certain you might have heard about how he destroyed the village."

"Yeah…" she answered quite remorsefully.

"That changed everything."

"It changed you." Hanare gazed at him.

Kakashi gazed back.

"Maybe," he said. "But that's because I don't want our village to get destroyed again. It's my topmost priority now."

"How can I destroy the village, when I even need to summon a toad to help me-"

She was about to tell him what happened to her. Good thing she was able to stop herself.

"I won't," she said instead. "I won't destroy, or in any way harm, this village."

"Good," Kakashi said. "But from now on, you are under my watch."

"And the only way to escape you is for me to get better as soon as possible and leave the village?"

"You will never leave the village again."

She was stunned.

"What?" That could only mean one thing. "You'll imprison me then?"

"Because you did not do anything that will make me do that, I won't. Not yet. But in case I discovered your real intensions of returning here, then you will be put to jail."

Hanare was offended by Kakashi's accusations.

"I told you. I never intended to harm the village."

"We'll see to that."

Kakashi turned his back on her and walked towards the door.

"What happened to the old Kakashi?"

He stopped.

Hanare was teary-eyed, because of frustration and heartache that Kakashi's behaviour had caused her.

"What happened to that kind and considerate Kakashi? Did Pain really do this to you? That Nagato…" Her fury for the rinnegan man aroused. "He really destroyed everything, huh?"

Kakashi looked at her, quite surprised at her sudden outrage.

"You seem to know a lot about Pain."

Hanare looked away.

"Nothing that you do not know."

"I see."

Hanare looked at the twilight sky. She waited until she heard Kakashi get out of the room and close the door. That was the moment when she let her heart cry out.

"So you told me they will welcome me here with opened arms, huh? You Pervy Sage! You just gave me false hope, you know! They will never accept me here. Never!"

She cried that night for the first time in years. She had never cried during those times that her life was in danger with the Land of Keys shinobis. She had never cried even if her leg was broken, or a kunai or shuriken cut through her skin. She had never cried even when it's cold at night in the cave, or she's almost passing out because of tiredness and hunger. She had never cried.

Until now.

It was the pain of realizing that her last hope, the only place that she felt like home, would never give her the acceptance that her heart is longing for.


	5. Chapter 4

The following morning, Sakura visited Hanare. The latter had just woken up when her pink-haired visitor entered the room.

"Good morning!" Sakura said.

Hanare smiled.

"Good morning."

"I'm Sakura. I'm the one who helped treat you. How are you feeling- Huh?"

Sakura saw her puffy eyes.

"What's the matter? Were you crying? Do you feel bad?" Concern is written all over her face.

"No, I'm fine," Hanare said with a smile. "Don't worry about me. I'm feeling okay."

Sakura gave her a disbelieving look.

"I'm just… feeling… a little lonely."

Sakura's face saddened as she felt her loneliness.

"Do you miss your family?"

"I don't have a family," Hanare answered. "I don't have any relative. I'm basically alone."

"Your friends… I'm sure they're thinking of you, too."

"My friends are all dead."

Sakura was astonished.

"I'm sorry to hear that."

Hanare smiled, trying to impede the sadness that's taking over her companion because of her unfortunate life.

"Don't worry about that. What's important is I'm alive, and it's because of you. Thank you so much, Sakura."

And it seems, Sakura was won over. Her jolly mood seemed to have gotten back as she smiled.

"It's nothing. I'm glad I've helped you."

Hanare smiled. It's a breath of fresh air to see Sakura this morning. It seems like all her sorrow last night was all washed out with her presence.

And then, there's Naruto. He barged into the hospital room quite hastily. He was even catching his breath when he stopped in front of Sakura.

"You're late, Naruto," the pink-haired kunoichi said.

"I'm sorry. Something came up," said Naruto.

"We were supposed to meet at the lobby one hour ago. What had happened that delayed you for an hour?"

"Kakashi-sensei asked me to summon Gamabunta."

Hanare was suddenly alarmed.

"He asked me to ask him about Hanare," Naruto continued. "But then, Chief Toad is quite busy, and Gamatatsu appeared instead. He doesn't have any idea about Hanare and just demanded some snacks from us."

"Kakashi-sensei seems very interested with Hanare…" Sakura's eyes glistened with mirth.

Naruto frowned. "What are you thinking?"

Hanare was intrigued at the two shnobis' conversation. After all, they are talking about her.

"Uhm… Excuse me…"

The two ninjas looked at her.

"Oh! Hanare! Haha!" Sakura laughed loudly. "Sorry... Don't mind us."

"How can I not mind if you are here in my room, and you're talking about me?"

Sakura was taken aback. Hanare looked at Naruto instead, who also seems a little dumbfounded.

"Hello, Naruto! What does your sensei want to know about me?"

"Uh…" Naruto blushed, maybe because he was caught off guard by Hanare. "Nothing… It's just… He's curious that you can summon Gamabunta."

"Really?"

"Well… we… we kind of associate Gamabunta with Pervy Sage, though I could summon him as well. But Chief Toad never mentioned that he has signed a contract with another person," Naruto explained.

"Well, I met him one time," Hanare said. "We became friends and he told me that if I needed help, I just summon him."

"So that's how you got to know him…" Naruto said, quite amazed at her story. "Well, you see, Gamabunta is not the usually friendly type, you know. That's why we were surprised to see that he cares a lot about you."

"Well, he has that hidden soft spot," Hanare said, then smiled at Naruto sweetly.

Naruto blushed again. Then, he held his nape like an embarrassed little kid.

"Well, he kind of asked me to take care of you, so…"

"You don't have to," Hanare said. "After I've recovered fully, I will leave the village."

No matter what Kakashi said, if she's not welcome here, she will find a way to go. She is not a spy for nothing. She knows a lot of strategy and she can escape the village without Kakashi, or the other ninjas, knowing it.

After all, Kakashi could not ask them to hold her in since she has not done anything that can make them detain her in the village.

"You're leaving?" Sakura asked.

"Yes," Hanare answered

"But you said you don't have a family or a friend," Sakura said. "What's the use of going away?"

"I can manage on my own. I've managed to live alone for quite some time now. It will be easier for me to do that."

"You don't have to be alone," Sakura said. "You can stay here. We can be your friends."

Hanare was touched by what Sakura said. And it was backed up by Naruto.

"Yeah, that's true. You can live here if you want, you know."

Hanare's eyes welled up. Whatever rejection she felt with Kakashi yesterday was now being taken away by the hospitality that Sakura and Naruto are showing her. It made her heart warm up.

"Thank you, guys. But, it won't be easy. First, I don't have a house here. I don't know where I will live. And then, a job. Whereas if I return to Tanzaku Quarters, I could go back to my apartment and my previous job."

And probably, go back to running away from those Land of Keys shinobis. But that's the life that she's been up to. It's hard but somehow, she's starting to get used to it.

"Maybe, Kakashi-sensei can arrange something for you," Naruto said. "He's the Hokage after all. He can have a place for you to live in and maybe, a job-"

"He's the Hokage?"

Shock is an understatement. Kakashi Hatake _is_ the Hokage? Since when? How did _it_ happen? Has she gone from the circulation that long that she was left behind _that_ important matter?

"Yes, he is," Sakura answered. "You do not know?"

Hanare shook her head. Why do they expect her to know that the Hokage post has been taken over by another person? To her, Tsunade is still the reigning Hokage.

She realized the reason behind it.

"I am a civilian, so I don't know those kind of things."

"You are a civilian?" Sakura asked. "But when we saw you, you were dressed with a mission gear. You looked like you came from an intense battle. You even used most of your chakra I had to infuse you with mine."

Oh no! Kakashi's students are as keen as she is. Better step up her game a little.

"That was a costume," Hanare said. "I was performing on a stage play, as a shinobi. Then, there are these men. One of them, he liked me a lot. He's kind of obsessed with me. He wanted to have me, and I tried to escape. But because I'm just an ordinary woman, I had a very hard time. I almost died."

"But if you're a civilian, how could you summon Gamabunta?" Naruto asked.

Hanare did not even flinched. Even her facial expression matched the story that she pulled off.

"He asked me to learn it. Good thing, I know a shinobi and he taught me the Summoning Justu. That's also the reason why I know a lot about chakra and other shinobi stuff."

Hanare wished that her lies were convincing. She used to lying before. That's a requirement as a spy. But she's not doing it for a long time now that her heart is beating wildly as she said those things to Naruto and Sakura.

"That's very dangerous," Sakura said. "The more that you have to stay here."

"Huh?" Did she buy her story?

"I will talk to Kakashi-sensei and convince him to help you," Sakura said. "I'm sure he could do something. I'll make him do something!" she said with full determination and enthusiasm. "Naruto, let's go to the Hokage Office."

"Huh?" Naruto was surprised at Sakura's sudden invitation. But it seems her friend will not take a 'no' for an answer. "See you, Hanare!" was the only thing that he managed to say as he was dragged out of the room by Sakura.

Hanare stared at the door. They even left it wide open. But that was nothing as compared to the problem that she is about to face right now. For sure, Kakashi will think of something to make her stay in the village. She's even sure that he just became more eager to do that because she said to Sakura that she wanted to leave. For sure it added to his doubt about her and her real intentions to be here.

She certainly will have a harder time leaving the Hidden Leaf. Will Kakashi alert the ANBU of her existence and form a group that will watch over her every action? It's better to be locked down in a prison cell than be guarded 24/7.

She looked out the window and saw a familiar black crow. It seems that the winged creature is watching her. It even went to the window sill and got closer to her.

"You didn't warn me about this," she said to the crow. "You didn't warn me about Naruto and Sakura and how they could be very… very nice and hospitable…"

The crow moved its head, as if saying something to Hanare that she could not even understand.

"Or maybe, you don't know…"

What could he know? He has left the village even before those two shinobis could prove that they can be something more than feeble little Ninja Academy students.


	6. Chapter 5

Sakura and Naruto went to the Hokage Office to talk to Kakashi. The latter was not expecting the visit, so he's kind of surprised to see his two former students.

"It seems you two have been hanging around quite early. Naruto, have you forgotten your study session with your Iruka-sensei?"

"Uh…" Naruto could not think of an excuse.

Good thing Sakura was there to help him out.

"Kakashi-sensei, Naruto said that you asked him to summon Gamabunta because you wanted to know about Hanare."

It was Kakashi's turn to get cornered.

"Are you in some way… interested about her?" Sakura asked.

Kakashi's eyes widened as he looked at Sakura's teasing smile.

"I-I am just curious how she managed to summon Gamabunta," he said.

"So you're really interested in her."

"I am not interested in her."

"Then why do you want to know how she summoned Gamabunta?"

Kakashi was dumbfounded. He contemplated if he would tell his students the truth, or will just let it a secret. Surely, Sakura and Naruto will understand where he's coming from, why he's like that to Hanare if they knew about her. But the way the two look right now, the way they seem to like Hanare, it's very hard to taint that. Also, it's enough to be the one to cause Hanare that unwelcomed feeling. At least she will have Naruto and Sakura to make her feel at home.

Somehow, he feels guilty about making Hanare feel unwanted.

"Sakura, I am not interested with Hanare." He looked away to hide his true feelings, cause he feels his students can see it through his eyes. "So stop asking me about her and stop pushing the idea that I like her."

"I didn't say that. So why did you mentioned it?" the pink-haired kunoichi asked.

"Because that's what you're thinking, right? That I like Hanare that's why I'm interested about her?"

Sakura was caught off guard. And even though she's now eighteen years old, she pouted as if she is still the genin that Kakashi used to mentor.

"I just wanted you to have someone to love, Kakashi-sensei. I just don't want you to be alone."

Kakashi frowned. "Why would I be alone? And besides, I don't need a girlfriend to not be alone. I have everyone here in the village. After all, I'm the Hokage."

"I didn't think about it before," Sakura said. "But, when Naruto started that rumor about you and Kahyō, I realized that for the longest time, Kakashi-sensei, you have been alone. I just realized I want you to have someone that you can be with when you grow old. Someone who'll take care of you. Because even though you're the Hokage, no one can always be there for you. Not even us."

He was actually moved by what Sakura said. Somehow, she has a point. He sometimes feels tired for being alone. And having that someone to grow old with, that someone whom you will go home to every afternoon – or every night – after a day's work seems not a bad idea at all.

"I guess not everyone is given the chance to have that someone."

He said that more to himself. Yeah, maybe he was meant to live alone for the rest of his life. Anyway, he sure will not be lonely because he will always be there to look after his former students, and the life that they will live on the years to come.

Sakura was sad to hear her sensei's resolve, but it seems she could not do anything about it anymore. Finally, it seems she has surrendered.

"But, can you at least help Hanare settle here in the village?" she said.

"What?" Now that one's also unexpected.

"Yeah, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto said. "She said she's planning to leave the village once she has completely recovered."

"Huh?" Now, that sounds alarming.

"She said she doesn't have a family," Sakura said, full of remorse. "And all her friends were dead. She's practically alone now. It would be better if she will just stay here in the village."

"And she will be safe here, too," Naruto added. "She said there's this man who is obsessed with her. He wanted to get her, but she refused. That's the reason why she was all beaten up when Gamabunta took her here. And, by the way, Gamabunta asked us to take care of her and keep her safe, you know."

Kakashi pondered on what the two said. Could it be true that Hanare was running away from a man who's obsessed with her? Well, it's not that hard to believe. Hanare is really such a beauty, and with the grace and elegance that she has, it's not surprising that a guy could fall deeply and madly in love with her.

Because he himself has been gotten at first sight.

But, what if she just said that to lure Naruto and Sakura? What if she really is a spy, and she went to a fight with other shinobis and got wounded very badly? Then, she summoned Gamabunta – which he also could still not believe to be her friend – and accidentally was brought up here? Gamabunta might not know that Hanare has a past here in the Hidden Leaf. Also, since Naruto is here, Gamabunta thought of bringing her here.

What he's sure about is that Hanare could not leave this village that easily. His former students need not convince him that much. He really will do everything to keep Hanare here in the village!

"We are thinking that as the Hokage, maybe you could do something for Hanare to help her settle here," Sakura said. "Maybe you could find a place for her to stay, and a job as well. If you want, we can help you with the apartment and job hunting. But as the Hokage, you have to give her the permission first to stay here in the village."

"I am very much willing to let her stay here," Kakashi said, to the surprise of Sakura and Naruto. "And about the place for her to live and job, I also have a good idea about that."

* * *

Hanare looked at the necklace that she is wearing. The pendant is a small green scroll. She took it, and in an instant, the scroll grew bigger, about the same as the size as her arm. She opened it and did some hand seals, and instantly a guitar appeared in front of her.

She took the stringed instrument and looked at it lovingly. She is known as a street performer who uses a shamisen. That is her favourite cover. But this guitar is more valuable to her. Not only does she uses it as a weapon sometimes. It's also because the six-stringed instrument was given to her by her late sensei.

Remembering her late master, she started to strum his favourite pop song. It was actually a classic, and every time she sings it, it gives her that bittersweet feeling because of the message of the song. Now that her master is dead, each time she plays and sings that song, she always remembers the good times that she had with him. Those memories that, like the message of the song, are also bittersweet.

 _Tonight you're mine, completely.  
You give your soul so sweetly.  
Tonight the light of love is in your eyes.  
But will you love me tomorrow._

Hanare smiled. The song felt like it was written for her pervy sensei. She always knew that the old sage has been with a lot of women, but all of them are just flings. Most are one-night stand. Women that makes him happy and give him company for the night or a couple of days. But deep in her heart, she knows her master only loved one woman.

Oh well, she also knows that most of these women were used to get information that her master needed for the benefit of his beloved village. The village that she also learned to love. Truth is, she had learned to realize that her master's perviness is just a cover. As he would always say, women hold most of the information that they need because women likes to pass information through gossips. Well, sometimes rumors could be true, right?

She continued playing and singing until her heart felt that familiar pang of yearning for her late master. She stopped and was surprised to see the masked man in front of her. It seems that she got lost a little with the song, and her emotions, that she forgot to notice that someone entered her room.

Well, the door was not closed since Sakura and Naruto went out earlier.

"Why did you stop?" Kakashi asked.

"Kakashi…" She suddenly remembered her conversation with Sakura and Naruto earlier. "Or, should I say, Lord Sixth."

Now she understands why he's so hung up into protecting the village. He is the Hokage now, and the safety of the village is his utmost priority.

But still, that doesn't give him the right to be assuming and cold hearted. Well, at least to her.

"So, you know."

"Naruto and Sakura went here earlier."

"They actually talked to me about it. And they told me that you are planning to leave as soon as you recovered."

"Why can't you just allow me to leave?"

"Because you might have something that is valuable to us."

Now, she really is infuriated.

"I came here wounded, almost lifeless. How could I possibly steal information with that condition?"

"What if you already had before Gamabunta took you here?"

Hanare was shocked. She might understand where Kakashi is coming from, but she can't comprehend where all these ideas of him come from.

"Or maybe, you had information from other villages and you fought with your life to escape from them. That's why you were fatally wounded when you got here."

Fury is taking over Hanare's mind, so she can't find the right words to counter that. She just looked angrily at Kakashi.

"You'll not leave here until I know what you're up to. As a shinobi who knows who you really are, I will not let the Hidden Village, or any other village, suffer because of your doing. After all, we are all members of the Allied Shinobi Forces. We all exist to protect each other."

"So, you're going to lock me up in a prison? Go ahead! I guess that's better with what I have to face outside anyway!"

Frustration is making her divulge her real situation to this man. But she still managed to stop herself. If he is someone who can't respect her just because she used to be a spy, then he does not have the right to know the truth about her.

"I said I will not do that. I could not put you to jail without any valid reason. So, I'll just make sure that you will be under my watch."

"And how do you suppose to do that?"

"By being my assistant."

And Hanare's jaw dropped at Kakashi's news.

* * *

 _The song used in this chapter is called "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" by Carole King. I don't own the song. It's one of my favorite classic._


	7. Chapter 6

I hope I will be able to update sooner after this. We are on our busiest season in our office, so I think I won't be able to write in the meantime. But I hope that won't be the case.

I dedicate this one to Prescripto13. Thanks to all the reviews. Appreciate them much and they actually inspire me to update my fanfic. ;)

* * *

Hanare looked at Kakashi as if he said something crazy. Well, it really was a crazy thing to say.

"You want me to be the assistant of the Hokage of the village that you think I'm infiltrating? Are you out of your mind?"

"By being my assistant, you have to be with me all the time. That way, I can personally watch you and I won't have to worry what you are doing. But you will just be my assistant in title. You will not do any personal assistant job. I have a real assistant who will take care of those things."

"Wow! Quite… 'sneaky,' Lord Hokage," she said sarcastically. "But, don't you think everyone will wonder why you need to get another assistant?"

"That's not a problem. Shikamaru wanted to be my assistant so that he could prepare himself when Naruto becomes the Hokage. He's practically on training. So, I really need a 'real' assistant."

"A 'real' assistant who will not do any real job. Wow! That really is a very honest action." She still could not take the sarcasm away.

But Kakashi doesn't seem to mind. He is still in his usual relaxed and unconcerned demeanor.

"And since you will be my assistant, you can live with me in the Hokage Residence. So you don't have to worry where you will stay."

Hanare gaped at Kakashi. _Live with him?_ LIVE WITH HIM!

"That is the most… RIDICULOUS THING… that you have ever said ever since I've met you."

Kakashi just looked at her.

"You know that a man and a woman could not live in one house just like that, right? Because if you don't, then you are in big trouble, Lord Hokage."

"You are my assistant, so what's wrong with that?"

"Oh my God!"

Hanare feels like fainting. Sure, there's no wrong if an assistant lives with her boss. Some already do that. And the Hokage Residence is not just the official residence of the Hokage, but also its principal workplace. It's just like living in the company you work with.

But she's going to live with Kakashi Hatake. That guy who has taught him how to look at the clouds when she's feeling hopeless and what it means to have a home and how it is to feel… _love_.

"The Hokage Residence has a room for you to stay. And since it is an official workplace, Anbu guards the place. So I could be certain that no sneaking out during the night would happen."

Right. Hanare understands it now. The Hokage Residence is the safest place for Kakashi to put her in. The residence and the office is heavily guarded by Anbu.

"Very clever," she commented. "Living and working with you means being guarded by your elite Anbu operatives. I guess, no sneaking out for me, then."

She smiled confidently. Then, she looked at his dark grey eyes.

"But I won't. I won't do anything that will justify whatever you're thinking about me. I promise to prove you wrong. I will make sure you realize that I really did not intend anything bad for the village. Until you let me go and let me leave the Hidden Leaf."

She stared at his eyes, making him see that she meant every word she said. He was the first one to surrender.

"Well then, see you when you're discharged." He went out of the room and closed the door.

Hanare looked at the door. Kakashi really has changed. Well, she understands that being a Hokage means securing the people of the village and making sure they are living peacefully and happily. It really will change you, she guessed.

Maybe it's really up to her to prove herself to him. She looked at her guitar and started playing a sweet melody again.

* * *

It was on the third day when the doctor told Hanare that she's discharged and could go home. But of course, she could not really do that because she will be staying in the village, work as the assistant of the Hokage and live with him in the Hokage Residence.

Well, thinking about it, it seems that it's better to accept Kakashi's offer than leave the village and go back to running away from those Land of Keys ninjas. Anyway, if she decided to run away, it would make Kakashi order the Anbu to pursue her and take her back, and it means additional people chasing her and wanting to capture her.

How did her life become this difficult?

She doesn't want to dwell on that now. She just took her necklace pendant and let it grow out to its full size. Then she did some hand signs and a set of outfit appeared. She could not put on her black mission gear because it's so tattered it needs to be fixed first. Also, she's not on a mission and not anticipating any fight or battle so she doesn't need to be in full gear.

Her outfit consists of black tank top, light brown mini skirt, black tights, and chocolate brown long-sleeved jacket with matching knee-high boots. After changing, she neatly folded the hospital gown she was wearing during her stay in the hospital and placed it by the bed. Then she got out of her room.

She was not surprised to see Kakashi at the hospital lobby. He is wearing his usual flak jacket, dark blue pants, and a long-sleeved shirt. Only this time, he is wearing the official Hokage headdress.

"Now you really look like the Hokage," she commented as she approached him.

"I was told that you were discharged," he told her.

"So they really inform you about me? Wow! You seem to be really interested about me, huh?"

"Let's just go," Kakashi said, ignoring her banter.

He led her outside the hospital. They walked together through the village, and once again Hanare could not help but watch the village people doing their daily routine. It was a fun sight to see, and she is glad that she was able to experience such a scene again.

This time, she will not only watch these people live here. She will actually live there. She felt a bit of excitement thinking about it, so she was oblivious when Kakashi stopped in front of a building.

"We're here," he said, and that's when Hanare stopped walking.

Hanare turned and looked at him, finally realizing that she is already a few meters away from him. She blushed at her obvious absent-mindedness. She was looking down as she walked towards him.

"Let's go."

Hanare looked at the building in front of her. It looks like the usual Konoha building, but it's quite different than what she remembers.

Oh, right. The old one was destroyed by Pain. This was the replacement.

Kakashi went inside the building. Hanare followed her. They went inside the lobby, and they met quite a few shinobi along their way. They gave Kakashi the usual curtsey that they give the Hokage, and upon seeing her the usual wondering stare. But Kakashi didn't mind them. He just continued walking and Hanare just followed him.

They proceeded to the stairs, and then went up to the third floor. Then they went to the left most part where a door was located. Kakashi opened it and it revealed a staircase.

"It looks kind of creepy," Hanare said.

"This is the private staircase that leads to the penthouse," Kakashi said. "Only me and the house staff has access to this door."

Kakashi went inside and climbed through the stairs. Hanare followed him.

"How do you make sure that no unauthorized person enter this passage?" she asked.

"Secret service," Kakashi answered.

"Ah! Your elite Anbu again."

She is getting quite fascinated with the life of the elite covert operatives. It seems they have an interesting life and they know a lot of secrets. It's the one job that she would want to have.

"Can I be an Anbu?" she asked.

"Hmn?" Kakashi looked at her.

"I feel like the Anbu are the Hokage's spy. I could be like that."

"Anbu are not just spies. They are assigned to carry out assassinations, tracking, surveillance, and missions requiring specially trained ninja."

"I am a ninja with specialized skills. I could help in interrogation and I could infiltrate even those villages that's impossible to get in."

"You are not a Hidden Leaf ninja so you can't do such things."

Right. She is not a Konoha ninja and Kakashi just made her his assistant because he needs to guard her 24/7.

"I never really won when it comes to arguing with you."

Kakashi looked at her. Hanare just looked back.

"We're here."

Kakashi opened the door, and it led them to a fully furnished Hokage penthouse.


	8. Chapter 7

It seems a long time ago since I had an update, but at least, it's here. :)

Since I am not Japanese, and I am not very familiar with Japanese names, I decided to use those names from the other anime series that I've watched. Kagerō was taken from Flame of Recca ( _Rekka no Honō),_ another favorite anime of mine.

* * *

The Hokage penthouse is a mixture of traditional and modern architecture. Upon entering the door, the guests will be greeted by a conventional genkan. It then leads to a spacious living room. The walls and floors are made of wood, but with a more modern styling. White sofa set adorn the right side and a square center table is placed beside it. On the left side is the wall-mounted flat screen television set. Below it are some ornaments, more specifically some jars and fresh plants and lampshades. On the far side is a wide glass door that leads to a balcony. Paintings on the wall complete the look.

The whole room is so luxurious Hanare could not help but stare. "Your place is awesome!" she can't help but say.

"Technically, this is the property of the Konoha Village. I only get to stay here because I am the Hokage. But after my rule, I definitely have to leave this place." He removed his shoes and put on the slippers lodged beside the wall.

"Still, you get to live in this beautiful house." Hanare also changed her boots into slippers.

On the left side of the room was a door leading to the dining room. An old woman, about fifty years old, came from it. She's wearing a blue kimono with white obi.

"Oh! Good morning, Lord Hokage! I did not expect you to come home early," she said.

"I came to show Hanare the house," Kakashi said. "Hanare, this is Granny Kagerō, the main in-charge of the house. Granny, this is Hanare. She will be staying here from now on."

"Oh! Nice to meet you, Lady Hanare," Kagerō said. "I didn't know that the Hokage's wife is coming today." She looked at Kakashi. "Wait… I didn't know you were married."

"Wha!" Kakashi exclaimed.

Hanare could just blush at Kagerō's statement. She already thought that this confusion might happen, but it still gives her that embarrassed feeling.

"Anyway, congratulations, Lord Hokage. And best wishes to the both of you," Kagerō said.

"She's not my wife," Kakashi said. "She's my assistant. She just came to the village and has nowhere to live in that's why I offered her to stay here."

Hanare looked at Kakashi. Offered her to stay here, huh? He never offered her anything. He forced her to live with him. It kind of upsets her a little bit.

"Yes, the Lord Hokage is right," Hanare said to Kagerō with full blast sarcasm. "Lord Hokage is very kind to offer me the Hokage Residence to live in. He is such a very kind and sweet man, don't you think?"

Kagerō doesn't seem to sense Hanare's sarcasm. She smiled at her comment about Kakashi.

"Yes, that's right. The Lord Hokage is very kind indeed."

Hanare beamed at the old woman. Even her smile is full of sarcasm.

"Oh! Are you going to have lunch here? I will cook you a very sumptuous meal," Kagerō said to the two.

"I have to go back to the office immediately. I just brought Hanare here so that she could take a rest," Kakashi said.

"I see," Kagerō said. "But it will be better if you stay for lunch. I know you sometimes skip lunch because of work, Lord Hokage. That's not a good practice. It might peril your health if you continue doing that."

"Thanks for the concern, Granny Kagerō, but I'm always trying to make sure that I take care of myself," Kakashi said.

"Oh, you should be! I could send you lunch every day at your office just to make sure you are eating properly. And also, I notice every morning that there are a lot of leftovers from the dinner that I prepare for you. I sometimes think you do not even touch it. Is there something wrong with my cooking? I always make sure that I only prepare delicious and well-balanced meals."

"They are actually very good. It's just that I have a lot of work to do that I was not able to finish what you've prepared. I even skip meals sometime so-"

"That is not a good excuse to skip your meal!"

Kakashi and Hanare were dumbfounded at Kagerō's sudden outburst.

"Work is not an excuse for you to neglect your health. How can you work properly if you're not well? You are the one responsible to yourself. No one can take care of yourself better than you. You should stop that, Lord Hokage. Don't do wrong your health too much!"

The two shinobis looked at the old woman. They are still unable to comment at her lecturing.

"Well then, I will prepare a good lunch for you, Lord Hokage. And you, Lady Hanare..."

Kagerō looked at Hanare, and the latter was surprised when the old woman suddenly smiled at her winsomely.

"I will cook you a delicious welcome meal. I'm very sure you'll like it."

Hanare just smiled wryly. Kagerō left them as she returned to the kitchen.

"Well, that's kind of… unexpected," Kakashi said.

Hanare looked at him. "Is she your grandmother?"

"No. She's employed by the administration since the Third's time."

"She acts like your real grandmother. It's kind of cute, actually."

Kakashi looked at her, quite embarrassed at what she had witnessed.

"Is she the only house staff here?"

"There are also other staff who go here twice a week to help her clean and wash the clothes."

"She stays here?"

"No. She lives in the village with her family. She goes here every morning, early enough to cook breakfast. Then she goes home every night after cooking dinner."

"What if you went home late at night? Does she have to stay and wait for you?"

"No. She doesn't have to wait for me. She can go home after she cooks dinner."

"She is quite old. I admire her for her dedication."

"You're right about that."

Hanare looked at the direction where Kagerō went. She suddenly felt she wanted a grandmother like her. Thoughtful and caring and strict but sweet. She decided to help her in her cooking sometimes.

"Let's go to your room?"

Hanare looked at Kakashi. He was just asking her casually, but why did she feel something uncomfortable with his question? The awkwardness of that statement made her blush. She looked away to hide it from him.

"O-Okay."

The two of them went to the hall leading to a couple of doors. They stopped on the second room on the right. Kakashi opened the door and the two went in.

The room is quite modest, but still beautiful. It's a combination of white and dark brown and a touch of lime green. Very nature-inspired. The bed is full-sized with two matching bedside tables on both sides and Japanese-themed square lampshades. There are enough built-in cabinets and drawers to put your stuff on, and a small but cute vanity sits near the windows. There is also a chair and table on the far side of the room, illuminated by natural light from the windows at day and by a modern-looking lampshade when the sun is down.

"Wow!" Hanare was amazed at what she is seeing. "This'll be my room?" It's like she'll be staying in a luxurious hotel.

"Yes. Go ahead and make yourself comfortable. Rest well and tomorrow, I will take you to the Hokage Office for your first day as my assistant."

Hanare looked at Kakashi. "But I'm fine. I could go with you today."

"The doctor said that you still need to rest some more."

"When did you talk to my doctor?"

"This morning, before you were discharged."

"Wow! Really!" she said sardonically.

"Take as much rest as you want. And by the way, don't you need anything else? Like clothes and other personal stuff? It's good that they lent you some clothes. I remember the ones you were wearing were totally torn."

"These are mine," Hanare said.

"Yours?" Kakashi was quite surprised.

"Uh-uh." Hanare took her necklace and turned it into a scroll. "This is where I keep all my valuables."

Kakashi was amazed at what happened, more so when Hanare did some hand signs and her guitar suddenly appeared from the scroll.

"Well, it that's the case, I'll leave you now so that you could put your things in the cabinets. I'll just see you later."

"Aye aye, Master!" Hanare saluted him.

Kakashi left the room. Hanare looked around and once more divulged into the beauty of her new place.

"So this is it, huh? I really am going to live here?"

She went to the window and looked at the view. From where she is she could see the rest of the compound where the other administrative offices of the Hidden Leaf are located. She caught sight of the Konoha Intelligence Administration. She suddenly imagined a guy with black spiky hair being detained in one of the prison cell in that building. The guy should have been in a maximum security cell, since he is not just an ordinary shinobi. He could also been totally tied up, and maybe they did something with his eyes because they are his most powerful weapons. Maybe they blindfolded him, and not just a blindfold. It should have a seal to supress his powerful visual prowess.

"He sure had a hard time; but, at least, now he's free." She sighed.

She turned around and looked at the room once again. Then she went to the bed and laid down. The bed is so soft and very comfortable. Even the sheets and pillows are soft. She sure will have a good night sleep later.

"Maybe this is not a bad idea after all." She smiled and think of what might come to her life as the personal assistant of the Sixth Hokage.


	9. Author's Note

Hi everyone!

I never thought that I'll attract some readers here. I thought no one is interested in this story that I made, so I lost all inspiration doing it. Plus, real life caught up on me so I really lost all the time for writing.

I'm glad though that some of you took the time to read and like this story. I really love Kakashi and Hanare. And because of your comments, I'm starting to get interested again with continuing this story.

But before that, I think I have to regroup my ideas, and review the timeline of the story. I want as much as I can to parallel this on the canon timeline. So I have to revisit that, I think.

But really, you gave me a lot to think about. This weekend, I'll try to review this and hopefully continue the story. And I hope you'll be patient and will like the outcome of it all.


	10. Chapter 8

And so, this is the long awaited continuation. Haha!

* * *

Instead of resting, Hanare went out to the kitchen to help Granny Kagerō in cooking their lunch. Of course, the old woman opposed it.

"Lady Hanare! You shouldn't be here! You should be in your room resting."

"I'm fine," Hanare said. "And please, drop the lady. I'm… I don't deserve that title."

"But Lord Sixth told me to make sure that you get the rest that you need. He said that's what the doctor said."

"I'm feeling great, Granny. Please, just let me help you here."

Granny Kagerō looked at her, and seeing that she could not be persuaded, she just let her help in cooking.

"Okay, if you insist."

Hanare smiled. She's glad that it didn't took that much to convince the old woman to help her.

"How long have you been doing this, Granny Kagerō?"

"Oh, it won't take long. This recipe is easy," the old woman said.

"No. What I meant was how long have you been serving the Hokage?"

Granny Kagerō paused to think. "Well, I first served during the Third's time. Since then, it has been my purpose to serve the ruling Hokage."

"How about your family?"

"I lost my husband during the war. I have to raise my children myself, so I looked for something that I could do. Luckily, I found this job. For me, it was a noble job and I never stopped since then."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Hanare said.

"It's okay. It was not your fault," Granny Kagerō said. "Now, my kids are all grown up and they have their own families. But I still want to serve the Hokage, so even if they want me stop, I still go to work every day."

Granny Kagerō laughed at her wilfulness. It made Hanare smile, too.

"I'm sure Kakashi is thankful to have you around."

"Lord Sixth is the one that I want to serve the most."

Hanare frowned. Granny Kagerō explained herself.

"I don't know if you know the Hokage's past. He has suffered a lot. The pain of seeing your father die, and then your teacher, your friends. It's just too much."

Hanare knows everything all too well. She knows what happened to the White Fang of the Leaf. Sakumo Hatake was his master's comrade. And then, the Fourth Hokage. Her master also suffered a lot from those deaths.

But she's not very much familiar with Kakashi's friends. She suddenly became curious.

"What happened to his friends?"

"What I know is they were on a mission. Kakashi Hatake was the only one who survived."

Not so much to know, Hanare thought. But of course, Granny Kagerō is a civilian and does not know a lot about ninja affairs. Maybe she should just ask Kakashi herself. But then, she could not do that. Kakashi might not even want to talk about it. And she's very sure that he does not want to share anything to her, especially about his self.

"Poor kid," Granny Kagerō said. "It was fortunate that he was able to bring himself up and become the great ninja that he is right now. I'm sure his father would have been very proud. The Hokage has turned into a great shinobi, and person as well. But because of those loss, he is now alone in his life. I feel like I could be someone who could take care of him, as he is busy taking care of the whole village."

Hanare was touched at what Granny Kagerō said. She suddenly thought of Kakashi, and his efforts to make the village safe and peaceful. Isn't it the reason why he refused to just let her go? He's afraid that she might cause danger to the Hidden Leaf. It pisses her, but at the same time, makes her understand him more.

"What if I take his lunch to him?"

Granny Kagerō looked at her.

"You said earlier that he has been neglecting food. I just thought, maybe, as his assistant, I should go to his office and give him food. Like, I should make sure he does not starve himself or something."

"That is a good idea!" Granny Kagerō said. "Here, I'll pack lunch for the two of you so that you could eat together. Maybe he will eat better if someone will eat with him."

Hanare nodded. "Yeah, that's a good idea."

She's not very sure about eating with Kakashi. It feels so uncomfortable just by thinking about it. But since she lives in his house, and it's inevitable that they might eat together, she's thinking maybe she should learn to do it as early as possible.

It might be good to start learning it now.

* * *

The Hokage's Office is not that hard to look for. It's just below the penthouse, and Hanare immediately found the door leading to the office. It was not that far from the staircase leading to the penthouse.

Hanare knocked at the door. She immediately heard Kakashi's voice after three knocks.

"Come in."

She slowly opened the door, but suddenly stopped upon seeing two other people in the room with Kakashi. One is a woman in blue kimono, and the other one is a guy with flak jacket and the usual ninja attire. She suddenly wants to just close the door again and leave; but she just stood there, frozen, as she looked at the two other people in the room.

"What are you doing here?"

Hanare looked at Kakashi. It felt as if her mind froze, too. "Ahm…" She looked at the wrapped bento she's carrying. "I brought you lunch." She showed him the bento.

"Brought you lunch?" the woman in blue kimono asked. She was looking at Kakashi, quite intrigued.

"This is Hanare," Kakashi said to the two. "She's my new assistant. Hanare, this is Shizune. She's Lady Tsunade's assistant, and she's standing by to help me in the transition of the administration. And this is Shikamaru. He's my assistant, but he's training to be the next Hokage's adviser."

Hanare frowned. _Next Hokage's advisor_?

"You hired an assistant?" Shizune asked, still with that intrigued tone of her voice and look on her face. "I thought you do not want a lot of people following you around?"

"It… was… I just thought of it," Kakashi answered. It felt as if he struggled to find the answer to the question, and Hanare knows why.

 _He just could not tell them who I really am._

"I thought maybe I could use a hand with paper works and office matters." Kakashi avoided Shizune's suspicious look. He looked at Hanare instead, and gave her that you-should-not-be-here look.

Which made Hanare cringe. "Ah… Ha-ha! I just… thought, maybe… you need to eat." She winced as she put the bento on the table. "I'll go back to the penthouse now."

Hanare looked at the Shizune and Shikamaru. "Nice to meet you. I'll go now."

And without another word, she went out of the room, quite fast.

"Why on earth, Hanare?" she asked herself. "You shouldn't have gone there. How could you forget that other people might be in the room with him?"

She stopped. She's now taking the stairs leading to the penthouse.

"But... What's wrong with that? People will eventually know about me anyway… Uh, that look on his face… his eyes, rather. His face is covered so… Oh! He's mad."

She's suddenly worried that he's mad at her. She doesn't know why, but it suddenly made her worry.

"Of course I should worry! I'm living in his house!"

She continued on her way up on the stairs to Kakashi's penthouse.

Meanwhile, Kakashi was really caught off guard by Hanare's presence. He thought it might just be one of his staff that was knocking. He did not expect it to be that woman that she left in his apartment.

"When did you hire Hanare?"

He looked at Shizune. He doesn't know why, but he felt suddenly uncomfortable with her gaze. And that tone of her voice. It just makes him embarrass.

"Just yesterday."

"And she's staying with you?" Shizune asked again. "I concluded since she said she brought you lunch."

"For the meantime." There's no use in lying. People will find out about it anyway.

"Is she your assistant, or your girlfriend?"

Now, Kakashi is shocked. "Why would she be my girlfriend?"

"I don't know," Shizune said. "It just seems like that. What do you think, Shikamaru?"

Shikamaru was surprised at Shizune's sudden inquest.

"Well… It's okay for the Hokage to hire an assistant," Shikamaru said.

"That's not what I meant," Shizune said. "What do you think of Hanare? Is she an assistant, or the Sixth's girlfriend?"

"Why don't we just continue with our meeting," Kakashi burst out.

"Should we?" Shizune asked. "The lady just brought you lunch."

"It could wait," Kakashi said. "Let's continue with the meeting."

His tone was so formal that the two were compelled to continue with what they were doing before Hanare came in.


	11. Chapter 9

Hanare saw Granny Kagerō in the living room of the penthouse.

"Hanare! You're back sooner than I expected."

"He's… busy," Hanare said. "I just left his lunch on his table. He's having a meeting."

"So you did not eat with him? Come on. I'll prepare lunch for you."

"Thanks."

Hanare followed the old woman to the kitchen. She watched her as she prepared food for her.

"Granny Kagerō, what if you come home early today?"

Kagerō looked at her. "Hmn?"

"I just thought, maybe, since I am here now, you could go home earlier than you used to. So that you could spend more time with your family. I could cook dinner for the Hokage."

"But, it's alright, my dear. You don't have to worry about me."

"I just… want to help you. I know it might be hard that you have to spend less time for your family. I just want to give you the chance to at least do everything that you want with them. Those things that you have neglected because of serving the Hokage."

Hanare knows how hard it might be for Granny Kagerō to work full time and not having enough time for her family. She might not have a family on her own, and it was hard. But she knows it's harder for someone like Granny Kagerō to have her family but never have the luxury to spend some time with them.

"You can just go here to clean and arrange things. I can do the cooking. I used to work in a restaurant before, and I learned a lot as the assistant of the head cook. So I can take care of the Hokage's food. That way, you don't have to come to work early, and come home late."

Hanare hopes that Granny Kagerō accepts her deal. She really wants her to spend more time with her family, especially now that she's old. And being old is also the reason why Hanare wanted her to work less than what she usually do.

"Well, if that's what you think is best."

Granny Kagerō smiled at her, and Hanare felt relieved. Now, the old woman could have some time to rest and be with her family. It's as if Hanare succeeded in her first assignment as Kakashi's assistant. It really feels good.

Speaking of which, she remembered what happened downstairs a while ago. She suddenly felt ashamed of what she has done. For sure, Kakashi will reprimand her again, tell her that she should not just appear in his office like that. Especially since nobody knows about her yet.

Maybe she could do something to make it up to Kakashi? Yeah, maybe. A sumptuous dinner perhaps? Yes, that would be fine. Tonight, she will showcase her cooking prowess to somehow appease her new boss' mood towards her.

* * *

Kakashi got home quite early than usual. The truth is, his mind never left his lavish penthouse on the fourth floor of the Hokage Residence. He tried to focus on the meeting that he had with Shizune and Shikamaru, but seeing Hanare entered his office just derailed his focus once again. It actually made him wonder if what he did was right, to let Hanare live with him, and on the building that holds most of Konoha's most kept secrets.

Thinking about it, it was really the best choice that he could have. The Anbu that guard the place is more than enough to keep Hanare's every action guarded. Besides, the scrolls contained in the building's libraries are all safely sealed, so his newest assistant could not easily look into their content.

Unless Hanare is knowledgeable enough to break the seals that lock the scrolls.

He doesn't really know what the green-haired woman could do. All he knows is that jutsu that she has that he copied six years ago – through his sharingan, of course – when he accidentally fell onto her and, well, accidentally kissed her. He immediately pushed the memory away from his head.

Kakashi looked at the bento he is carrying. Maybe he should tell her to be careful in barging into his office from now on. Of course, it would be unusual that his assistant could not go into his office. He should have told her that he hired her to be a housemaid if that's what he wants. But of course, it won't be right. Hanare is too good and talented to just stay in the penthouse as a maid. And there is this part of Kakashi that tells him she might help him in running the whole village – as an assistant, of course – with all the information that she has.

Now, he wondered the extent of Hanare's knowledge about the ninja world.

He's very consumed into that thought, that he was surprised to see Hanare greet him when he entered the penthouse. She is wearing an apron, and was it a ladle that she is holding?

"Welcome back home!" Hanare smiled at him sweetly.

Kakashi gaped at her. And what in the world is happening right now exactly?

"Ahm…" Hanare looked away. "I cooked dinner for you."

"You what?"

"Dinner," Hanare repeated. "I said I cooked you dinner."

Hanare looked at him. She still looks embarrassed, as if she did something he might not like.

"I'm sorry about what happened earlier. I shouldn't have just showed up like that. Of course, nobody knows about me yet, so I should not just do that."

Kakashi looked at her. Hanare is staring down, quite blushing because of embarrassment. She actually looks cute that it made Kakashi smiled.

He stopped before he enjoys himself more.

"It's okay. It's bound to happen anyway. They will know about you. I guess, they just found out sooner than what I wanted to happen."

"So, you're not mad?"

Hanare looks like a little girl testing her parent's reaction to something foolish she has done. And it made Kakashi smile again.

"I'm not mad."

Hanare exhaled deeply. "That's a relief."

"You don't want me to get mad at you?"

"Of course I don't!" Hanare answered.

And it gave an unusual feeling to Kakashi. Something that warmed his heart that made him feel glad.

"Why would you want someone to get mad at you? Especially someone you live with."

She suddenly paused after saying that, like she just said something that she should not.

Or maybe, she did. Kakashi then realized how her last sentence sounded. It made him reciprocate the awkwardness that Hanare is feeling.

"Ahm… Why don't we just go to the kitchen and eat dinner?"

She did not wait for his answer. She immediately went to the kitchen leaving him at the genkan. After a few seconds of just standing there, he removed his sandals and put on some slippers. He then followed Hanare to the kitchen, and was greeted by the delicious smell of the food that she cooked.

"Sit down, Lord Hokage."

Hanare is smiling at him, as if nothing just happened between them in the genkan. Well, nothing really happened, right? They just talked and looked at each other. Awkwardly.

"Just call me Kakashi," he said.

"But I should do the honorifics," Hanare said.

"Don't mind it. Especially if it's just the two of us."

Hanare looked at him, and once again, he thought of the implied meaning of what he just said.

"I mean, it's not like, it's something else." How can he say that he's not flirting with her without saying the exact words? "I'm just not used to having people call me that, or addressing me with honorifics. I'm good with everyone calling me by my name."

"Well, you should get used to it, I guess."

Hanare smiled at him, and somehow it made the mood a little better. A little less awkward. Kakashi looked at the food and could not help but admire it.

"These looks good," Kakashi told Hanare.

"They are good," Hanare said. "I might not cook like Granny Kagerō does. But I know a thing or two with cooking."

"Granny Kagerō…"

"Oh, I asked her to go home early. I also told her that I could prepare breakfast for you. I just think she's working too hard for her age. I feel like she should retire now so that she could have more time with her family. She's old and it felt as if she wasn't able to enjoy that much with her family because of her job."

"She is very hardworking. I already told her about retiring, but she insists that she likes what she's doing and she's okay with it. You just can't stop her."

"Yeah… That's why I offered her some help. I also figured out she could not be persuaded in stopping to serve the Hokage. It feels as if that's a vocation for her."

Kakashi stared at Hanare. It seems that she has already gotten along with the old woman Kagerō. Looking at her like that, seeing the concern that she has for her new friend, it made Kakashi think that she is a kindhearted woman. Someone that could not do anything bad to the people around her.

Or, was it just a cover? Is she just making it up to make him believe that she is trustworthy? That she is not planning anything that might endanger the whole village?

But, whatever the case, Kakashi could not help but stare at her, look at those brown eyes that little by little makes him mesmerized and makes him feel that unfamiliar warmth inside his heart.


	12. Chapter 10

"The doctor said that you should be resting."

Hanare gave Kakashi a frustrated look. "Please don't give me that you-should-be-resting crap again. Can't you see? I'm fine now. I just needed some rest and enough sleep… and water and food."

"What really happened to you?"

Hanare looked at him. Surely, Kakashi wants to know as much as he could about her. She knows he will unravel everything that he could from her to gain knowledge of what she could or plan to do. But the curiosity that she is seeing in his dark grey eyes made her feel like he just really wanted to know.

And, was it concern that she is seeing in those dark greys?

"There's a guy who's obsessed with me." She should be consistent to be realistic. "He's a rich, powerful, but bad guy. He's immoral, just… very evil. So, I wanted to escape. It was hard. I almost died, you see." She looked away. "It has been years since I've been on a fight."

That was a lie. Partly. It was not years since she last fought with someone. But it was not also something that she does regularly. She did that to defend herself from all those who wanted to have her. And lately, it just became harder for her that she needed to summon her frog friend to help her. Thus making her live in this village with Kakashi.

"I'm a civilian now, so it was really very hard for me. I tried to escape into the forest, and I guess it was the worst idea. It was hard getting food, water. And then, sleeping at night. It was so cold, the darkness makes you feel so lonely… I actually thought I might die."

Now, that's not a lie. She really thought she might die out there. It was a blessing that she has a friend who knows how to save her and take her to a safer place.

"Well, you're here now. You're safe, and there's food and water, and the sheets will warm you up."

She smiled at Kakashi. "Yes. Although, I'm not sure if I'm really safe?"

Kakashi was taken aback by what she said. That made Hanare laugh.

"I'm sorry. That was a joke."

Kakashi stared at her for a while, and then he sighed.

"I hope you don't feel like you could not relax in this place. I still want you to feel safe, even though I'm a little cautious over you. It's my responsibility as the Hokage, and as a ninja of this village."

Hanare nodded. "I understand. I just hope I had a different image to you than what you think of me right now."

"Maybe, someday. Someday I might think of you differently."

Hanare smiled. That made her feel better.

"I guess so."

She looked down at her plate. Then, she suddenly remembered something.

"Can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"About your friends… Granny Kagerō told me about you losing your teammates."

Kakashi looked at her, and Hanare felt like he could not tell her the story about his comrades. She was thinking of another ice breaker when Kakashi spoke.

"I lost them, during the third shinobi world war time. Obito died during a mission in Kusa. Before he died he gave me his sharingan, as a gift for being promoted to jōnin. It was actually ironic, being promoted because you are good enough, but not being able to save you teammates."

Hanare could feel the pain that he has while telling her the story. It suddenly made her feel guilty for bringing up that issue.

"And then, Rin. She was kidnapped, and the Kiri sealed into her the Three-Tails. They wanted her to lose control and have the Three-Tails destroy the village. I had to kill her to prevent that from happening."

"Oh my God…"

That was it! Hanare was devastated by what she heard. How did Kakashi survive all these heartaches?

"I'm very sorry. I shouldn't have asked."

"It's okay. Those were a thing in the past now. It still hurts, but I guess I got used to it. And knowing that they are in a better place, it somehow ease the pain a little bit. Though you can't completely forget everything."

"Yeah… You just could not forget."

How can you forget the pain of losing someone? She knows the feeling, for until now, she still could feel the pain of losing the two persons that treated her more than a colleague, who made her feel like she has a friend, and a family.

"I have a feeling you suffered a lot of loss, too."

She looked at Kakashi. Maybe it's not bad that she tells him about her loss?

"I lost my master, my mentor. It was something that he has to do. He faced an opponent that proved to be a lot stronger than him. Someone who could destroy a whole village."

Of course, Kakashi is not that dumb. He is a genius that could put two and two together.

"Pain?"

Hanare nodded. "Yes. Pain. My master was trying to get more information about the Akatsuki. But he died doing it."

"I'm sorry."

Hanare nodded, trying to stop the tears that's welling on her eyes. "It's okay. He died with a good cause. He's a hero. Someone that I really look up to. You know that kind of person that you might think is just a good for nothing guy? He's very comic. But he's the best teacher I had. He's the best mentor someone could ever have. And, it felt as if he regarded me not only as an assistant, but as his own daughter."

And he was like a father to her. If only Hanare could tell Kakashi more about this wonderful guy. But would he believe her? Besides, Kakashi knows about her master that much that she need not tell him more about his sacrifices for the world, for the Hidden Leaf.

"Then, I also have a friend. And he was like a brother to me. He died because of… of his own brother."

Now, that was a clear hint. But it seems Kakashi could not really connect her with that 'friend' that she is talking about. Or maybe, he just forgot how that 'friend' of her died.

"They were the ones who made me believe that I belong… somewhere in this world. Being a Hidden Key ninja, they train us to be good in infiltration and espionage… in everything that will benefit the village. But they didn't really make us feel like we belong. We work for them, that's just it. They don't even let us see our families. I don't even know how my parents look like."

It was Kakashi's turn to sympathize Hanare. He might have experienced a lot of heartaches before, but is there more sorrow than not knowing who your parents are?

"I don't know if you could still remember, but that time when you found me, back when we were kids. I was trying to look for my parents, because I do not know a single thing about them it made me escape from my master and look for them."

"Did you see them back then?"

She shook her head. "My master found me. It was not the master that I just told you. He was my first teacher. And he's not as nice as my beloved master. That time that I escaped, he punished me by not giving me dinner."

She laughed. It was one of those moments that made her feel so pathetic. And those moments make her laugh. To her, those moments are the most ridiculous part of her being.

She suddenly caught sight of Kakashi's plate. It was empty, but not unused empty. Whatever Kakashi put there to eat are all gone.

"You're done eating?"

"Hmn?" Kakashi looked at his plate. "Yes. Your cooking was very good."

"How…" She pointed at his mask. "You haven't taken your mask off."

"Well, uh…" Kakashi was lost for words.

"How did you manage to eat with your mask on?"

"Well… That's one of my unique skills."

Hanare looked at him, as if trying to absorb what he said. Then, she suddenly laughed.

"Wow! I'm really…" She laughed harder. Kakashi just stared at her. "Someday, Kakashi Hatake, I will uncover the greatest mystery in the whole shinobi world. I will uncover your face and show it to everyone. I think I should take a photo and sell it? It will definitely be a hit."

Then, she laughed some more. Kakashi was just looking at her, quite amazed at how her mood suddenly changed in an instant. It suddenly gave him that idea that what she told him might not be true at all. That all those stories about her master and friend are just made up for him to sympathize her. That's why she easily recovered from that deep conversation that they had.

Or maybe, Hanare is really just like that. She could talk about a lot of bad things, and then just forget about it like nothing happened. It was admirable, he thinks. Being able to control your feelings like that. It just proves how strong this woman is inside. And it also makes her a very good spy.

Enough of those spy suspicions. Kakashi just focused on the fact that this brown-eyed woman is laughing heartily in front of him. And it's because of him. It feels great that Hanare is laughing because of him. Not laughing like mocking him. Laughing like she's happy. Like he makes her happy. And it gives him some kind of joy.

He wonders if he ever felt happy by making other people laugh. Oh well, maybe this is the first time.


	13. Chapter 11

Hanare's first night at the luxurious Hokage mansion has been good. After eating dinner, she washed the dishes and she put away all left over food and kept it in the refrigerator. Kakashi offered to help in the cleaning, but she insisted that he take some rests since he worked all day at the office. After some argument, Kakashi agreed and just retired to his room.

She spent the rest of night having a relaxing soak in the bath. While enjoying herself, she thought of how she has been so far in the village. Her first few days have not been good, admittedly. But today, everything seems to be running more smoothly. Maybe Gamabunta is really right in bringing her here.

But she suddenly thought otherwise when she came across Kakashi while going back to her room with only her towel covering her naked body.

Fortunately, that didn't keep her awake the whole night. She had a very good night sleep. And then, the following morning, she woke up early enough to prepare their breakfast. Kakashi is once again pleased with her cooking.

"So... Am I allowed to go to your office today?"

Kakashi looked at her.

"Or do I have to stay here all day? If you're worrying about my health, I guarantee you. I'm very much okay. I think Sakura gave me a lot of chakra that I've recovered easily."

Kakashi seems to think. She suddenly remembered something.

"If you're afraid about me getting enough classified information that I might give or sell to others, then you shouldn't have made me your assistant. It won't work, Kakashi. As your assistant, I need to be with you at work. Not just here in your house. You should have hired me as a maid or a housekeeper."

But she doesn't fit in that kind of job. Kakashi could not imagine Hanare as a maid or housekeeper. Well, she could see her cook and clean the dishes, the house. But not as a maid, but as a wife.

He brushed that thought off his mind and concentrated on the issue at hand.

"I guess you could come with me to the office today."

Hanare's brown eyes lit up. "Really? Oh wow!"

Her excitement made Kakashi smile. "Just promise that you'll behave."

"Of course I will!" Hanare replied.

And it was settled. Hanare went to the Hokage's office that morning with Kakashi. It was her first day at work, and Hanare is very excited. But everything turned out to be harder than she thought.

"So, what do you want me to do?"

Kakashi looked at her. What could he ask her to do that would not be too risky?

Hanare looked at the pile of documents. "I could help you arrange these things, keep them in the filing cabinets or filing room."

"Those are mission reports. They will be kept in scrolls and will be sealed before putting them in the filing cabinets."

Something that she could not do. Hanare understood Kakashi. Of course, the mission reports are all confidential.

"How about these?" she said referring to the documents on Kakashi's table. "I could help you sort these out-"

"Those are intelligence reports about the missions that are about to be given. I could not also make you see them."

Okay… maybe not those ones, too. Of course, Hanare could still understand. But she could not make the frustration inside her disappear.

"Well, it seems I have nothing to do here," she said sarcastically. "So what's the point of coming here in the first place, huh?"

Kakashi just stared at her. He doesn't know what to do, or how to somehow appease her. Could there be something that she could do for him?

"I guess I'll just go back to the penthouse." She did not dare to hide the sadness that she's feeling. It felt so bad that it was hard to hide.

She started walking towards the door when Kakashi called her.

"Hanare-"

She looked at him. But Kakashi could not say anything.

"It's okay. I'll be fine," she said instead.

She continued walking towards the door. Kakashi didn't stop her again. Maybe he really does not know what to do. He really does not know what to do with her. All he knows is that he needs to keep her by his side and know whatever she's doing.

But how could that happen if he could not even let her touch a single document?

Hanare looked around. The Hokage residence looked so huge, and mysterious. She wondered what secrets are contained in every room of that building. Those secrets that Kakashi does not want her to know.

If only he knows how much she knows.

It felt as though her curiosity took over her. Instead of going back to the penthouse, she went to the other side of the building. But all she saw are doors that were tightly shut. She wanted to open some and go inside, but when she remembers that the Anbu might be watching her secretly, and one wrong move could make them report to Kakashi, she stops. She could not ruin his trust for her. She could not make him think worse about her.

Walking and exploring took her to the first floor. Until she went out of the building and explored the other parts of the compound. She saw a swing, so she went to it and sat down. The wooden swing is in front of the Academy. She smiled.

"I wonder what kind of students those two are."

She knows Itachi Uchiha is a genius. She learned all about him when she started tracking him down. Of course, you need to know the history of your subject. So she learned that Itachi Uchiha is a natural prodigy. He was advanced as compared to his batch mates. He's very good in all three main ninja skill sets. Had he not been an ally, he could have easily killed her. Good thing he became her friend.

As for her master, she sure could imagine him as an unruly student.

"I could clearly imagine you as a slow-witted student." She laughed. She could imagine her master as someone who is always being scolded by his teachers for not knowing even the simplest jutsu. Oh well, maybe that's how great shinobis starts. With nothing.

Of course there are always exceptions. Like Itachi… And then, Kakashi. She suddenly imagined Kakashi going out of the Academy gate with his friends. One was Obito. He said he was an Uchiha, because Uchihas are the only ones who has sharingans. Unless someone acquired it just like how Kakashi did.

She imagined this little boy with onyx eyes, just like Itachi. Maybe he also have jet-black hair. He's kind, because he gave his sharingan to Kakashi. They must be really good friends.

And then, the girl. She wondered how Rin looked like. Was she pretty? Was she kind? What might be the color of her hair? Her eyes? Did Kakashi like her?

And why on earth will it matter? So what if Kakashi liked her? Does it matter to her? Does it have to matter?

She brushed the thought off her mind. She should not think of those things now. Rin is dead, and why would she ever care who Kakashi likes? It his choice, and she has nothing to do with him. She's just his assistant. An assistant that he could not trust.

She sighed. She felt sadder with the thought. Maybe that day when Kakashi could trust her will not happen. She didn't even come from the village that he loves and vows to protect with all his life. But if she did cone from the Hidden Leaf, would everything be different?

Of course, it will. She suddenly imagined herself as a young girl. She's going out of the academy with her books and school bag. Then, there's Kakashi. He greets her happily, because they are friends and they know each other very well. They came from the same village. And then, there's little Itachi. He's five years younger than her, just started his first grade in school. She knows him because they were friends. Because they came from the same village. And then, Jiraiya. He's their teacher.

"I don't think so." The pervy sage has always been outside the village looking for information that might be of use and making sure that the village is safe from outside threats. He will never stay in one place just like that.

"He could." If things happened differently.

But things happened the way they did. Unfortunately, it was the opposite of what she had wanted to happen. She did not come from the Hidden Leaf. She does not know the other people from the village. She doesn't even know how Rin and Obito looked like.

And then, she felt more sad.

She was sadly looking at the Academy gate when Naruto approached her.

"Hanare?"

She looked at him. "Oh! Hi Naruto!"

Naruto smiled. "Hey! I'm glad to see you're okay now. What are you doing here?"

"Just… hanging out." She shrugged. "It's a good spot over here."

"Yeah." Naruto looked at the Academy. "It's my favourite spot, too. I'm glad they managed to bring back this swing when the village was rehabilitated."

"When Pain destroyed it."

"Yeah…"

Hanare felt Naruto's sadness with the memory. She suddenly felt responsible. She changed the subject to change the mood, too.

"So, are you going to the Hokage's office?"

"Actually, I'm going to the Academy. I'm having special lessons with Iruka-sensei."

"Special lessons?"

"Well, yeah…" Naruto suddenly became embarrassed. He blushed as he scratched his head. "They told me that if I want to move up the ranks, I need to study and know a lot just like my friends. They told me the Hokage must know everything that the others know."

"Hokage?" She suddenly remembered something.

 _He's training to be the next Hokage's adviser_

Shikamaru is training to be the next Hokage's adviser. And Naruto is studying to move up the ranks.

"You're the next Hokage?"

"Well, uh… If it's possible."

Naruto became more embarrassed. That made Hanare smile.

"Come on! You're a great ninja. You care for the village and the whole world as well. You'll be a great Hokage."

Then, she said silently. "Master Jiraiya will be very proud."

"Huh?"

"I mean, your teachers will be very proud of you. For sure. It's not like all their students become the Hokage, right?"

"Well, yeah…"

"I have an idea. What if, I help you study?"

"Huh?"

"I'll help you with your lessons. You know, I know a lot about History and stuff."

"Really?"

"Yes. And I will help you learn them."

"That would be great!"

"Yes, that would be great. Let's go. Let's go meet your teacher."

"All right."

They both walked towards the Academy.


	14. Chapter 12

Iruka just stared at Hanare. She actually felt like something is wrong with her face by the way he's looking at him.

"Iruka-sensei?"

That's the only time Iruka looked away from her. He looked at Naruto who is puzzled by his teacher's reaction. And it seems that is the time when Iruka got back to Earth, or at least his mind.

"Naruto! Uhm… yeah… Ha-ha-ha!"

Naruto frowned, still unable to decipher what happened to his teacher. But Hanare finally gets it.

 _I'm a bloody spy that even your Hokage could not trust._

Iruka looked at her. "Hanare…"

 _Don't crush over me, Iruka. Your Hokage might execute you if he finds out._

"Nice to meet you, Iruka-sensei," she managed to say. She smiled at him.

Iruka blushed. "Nice to meet you, too. Just call me Iruka."

"Okay." She smiled again. "Iruka. I am the Hokage's assistant." She doesn't know why she said it. She just felt she should. After all, Naruto might wonder why she's still here in the village, though he's one one of those who tried to convince her back then at the hospital.

"I see… So, how was it working as the Hokage's assistant?" Iruka asked.

"Fine," she answered. "But, I guess we have to start with Naruto's lessons? That's what the Hokage wants, right?"

"Right," Iruka said.

And so they started studying the history of the shinobi world. It was fun teaching Naruto. And it was fun rediscovering the history of everything that started it all.

They learned a lot that they did not notice the time. Until Naruto could not take it anymore.

"Can we rest for a while? I think my head is going to explode any minute."

"Well, maybe we could have a short lunch break," Iruka said.

 _Lunch break?_ Oh no! Maybe she had stayed too long. She needs to go back to the penthouse now.

"Let's eat ramen!" Naruto suggested.

"That's a nice idea," Iruka said. "Let's go to Ichiraku. My treat."

"Really?" Naruto became intrigued. "Why did you become generous all of a sudden?"

"W-Well, uh…" Iruka blushed. He looked to the floor to hide his embarrassment.

"I need to go back," Hanare said.

"Huh?" The two guys looked at her.

"I'm sorry, but I can't have ramen with you, guys. I need to go back to-" She can't tell them she's going back to Kakashi's penthouse. Though they know that she's working for him, it still feels awkward to tell people that she lives with him.

"I have to go back to work," she just said.

"But it's lunchtime," Iruka said. "I think the Hokage is kind enough to understand."

"Yeah," Naruto agreed. "Kakashi-sensei will understand."

"But…" How can she tell these guys that the understanding Kakashi that they know does not trust her?

"Do you want us to talk to the Hokage about this?" Iruka asked.

"No! Don't… Don't do that."

Kakashi might get more angry. It seems that she has no choice but to join them. And Kakashi might be busy anyway. He might not even know it's lunchtime yet. He might not even think of having a break.

"What if I come with you? But instead of eating with you, I'll just take out my share, and that way I could also bring some for the Hokage. You see, one of my tasks is to make sure he does not skip meals."

"Well, if that's the case…" Iruka said.

"Don't worry! I'll pay for my food, and for the Hokage's."

"It's okay," Iruka said. "But I hope that next time, you can eat with us."

She smiled. "I will. Thanks, Iruka. You're very kind."

Iruka blushed again. "That's… nothing… Ha-ha-ha!"

Iruka looks like a ten-year-old kid who has seen his crush. It was actually cute. It made Hanare smile.

That wasn't the first time that some guy was smitten by her good looks. Hanare was fully aware of her beauty. She actually uses it sometimes in her missions. Being beautiful has an advantage. A lot of people like you already by just being pleasant to their eyes. And that's how Hanare is.

But it was just like that. Her beauty, it's just for missions. She doesn't flaunt it if not necessary. She still likes to be wanted because of who she is, and not of how she looks like.

.

* * *

Kakashi has been thinking about Hanare all morning. He feels guilty at what he has done. Well, she knows from the beginning that that is what will happen. It's clear to her where she stands.

But he still can't help but feel guilty. He does not know what is it with her, but seeing her sad made him feel sad, too. It's like he reciprocates whatever she's feeling. Just like how happy he felt as he watched her laughing last night.

It's lunchtime now. He remembered what happened yesterday. He suddenly felt as if the world stopped when he saw her enter his office. He suddenly does not knows what to do. Of course, he knows it's because Shizune and Shikamaru were at his office that time. He still does not know how to tell everyone, and how everyone will react when they found out about Hanare.

But he does not know the unusual beating of his heart when he saw her beautiful face emerged from the door.

Maybe he needs to go to his penthouse for that to not happen again. Or maybe, he just really want to check on her.

Maybe.

Anyway, Granny Kagerō has been bugging him about skipping meals. For sure the old woman will be happy to see him in the penthouse eating lunch.

Though he's not sure what he'll say when he saw Hanare.

But Hanare was not there when he went to the penthouse. It was just Granny Kagerō in the kitchen. She was actually surprised to see him.

"Lord Hokage! I did not expect to see you. But, it's okay. Come, sit down and eat your lunch."

"Please, drop the Hokage, Granny Kagerō," he said. "Is Hanare in her room?" She might have felt very bad about what happened. That made him feel more guilty.

"I haven't seen her," Granny Kagerō said. "I cleaned her room this morning, but she's not there. I thought she went to work with you. Did she get back? Is she not feeling well?" Granny Kagerō suddenly looked worried.

And Kakashi suddenly became worried. If Hanare is not in the penthouse…

He immediately got out of the penthouse, and went down the stairs to the third floor. He searched for Hanare in the building, more particularly where the confidential documents are. That's the only place that he knows she might go to. After all, isn't she after Konoha's hidden secrets?

He suddenly felt disappointed. Here he was, feeling guilty because of what happened earlier in his office. Then suddenly, he finds out that Hanare is exactly what he thought she is.

And it made him feel worse.

Hanare is not in the rooms where he thought she might be. Kakashi finished searching the whole Hokage Residence for her, but he did not find any trace of her. That only means one thing.

Could it be that she tried to get out of the village? The Anbu thing was a bluff. Of course, the whole Hokage residence is guarded by Anbu, but he did not specifically ordered that they keep an eye on her. Nobody knows about Hanare yet. Only those people who have seen her already knows of her existence here in the village. But no one knows who she really is.

He rushed outside the Hokage Residence compound. If Hanare went out of the village, he needs someone to track her down. He does not know yet what she has with her. She might have managed to get as much information that she could while staying here. Four days is enough for a trained spy to do that. Or, was it five days already?

He has to make sure that she really escaped. If he needs to search the whole city for her, then he will. Just to make sure that she could not do any danger to the Hidden Leaf.


	15. Chapter 13

"This is the best ramen in the whole world!"

Hanare smiled at what Naruto said. They are now at the Ramen Ichiraku, and according to Naruto and Iruka, it's the best ramen shop in the whole world. She met the owner, Teuchi, and his daughter Ayame. He liked them at first sight.

"Is this your favorite?" she asked the blond shinobi.

"My most favorite thing in the world," Naruto said.

She smiled again. She kind of believe in what he said, according to the smell of the ramen that Teuchi and Ayame are preparing.

"I'm sure you will also like Ichiraku's ramen," Iruka said. "I will not be surprised if this will be your favorite after you've tasted it."

"I hope so," she said with a smile. And it made Iruka blush again.

"It's good to have you here, Hanare," Ayame said. "How long have you been working for the Hokage?"

"Well, just recently," she said. She likes Ayame but she still could not tell her everything. Maybe, after some time she could learn to trust her, too.

"So, how was it working with the Hokage?" Ayame asked again. "Is he bossy? Does he make you do a lot of things? Is he demanding?"

"I don't think the Hokage is someone like that," Iruka said. "He's a great guy."

"I know he is," Ayame said. "He's also a patron here. I'm just asking because maybe we don't know him that much that he's different in the workplace. He's not our boss, anyway… Wait a minute. He's your boss."

"Yeah," Naruto said. "But Kakashi-sensei is not that kind of boss. He's kind and it feels as though he's still the Kakashi-sensei that led our team. He just have a new title."

"Is that right, Hanare?" Ayame asked.

And suddenly, Hanare does not know what to say.

"He doesn't show up here lately. It seems he has completely forgotten the Rame Ichiraku," Ayame continued.

"What do you expect with a very busy man?" Teuchi asked his daughter. "The Hokage has a lot of things to do that eating and spending time in our shop is the least of his concerns. He might not even have time to eat properly."

Teuchi put on the table the take out that Hanare ordered for her and Kakashi.

"I put additional toppings as a welcome gift for you." He smiled at Hanare.

Hanare smiled back. "Thank you so much."

She paid her food, much to Iruka's objection. But she paid them anyway. She bade them goodbye and was ready to walk as fast as she could to the Hokage's office, when she saw Kakashi standing nearby. He's looking blankly at her, but she could sense there's something going on in his mind. Something that she does not like.

"H-Hi!" She stammered. She's nervous. Especially when those dark grey eyes of him shifted from blank to something she does not want to name.

"I've been looking for you."

"Well, I…" She looked back at Naruto and Iruka. It seems they did not notice Kakashi and the conversation that they are having right now. They're currently enjoying the ramen that Ayame and Teuchi served them.

"Let's go back to my office now."

Hanare looked at Kakashi, and before she could say a work, he suddenly grabbed her and they both teleported to the Hokage's office.

Kakashi faced Hanare, and this time he is really very angry at her.

"You told me you went back to the penthouse."

"I, uh… I lied." What's the point of not telling the truth? All she wants to do now is to be honest with him. Thought that's the opposite of what she just said. "I mean, I changed my mind."

"You lied? So that's how it's going to be then?"

Hanare frowned.

"You will lie to me and make me believe anything that you want me to. Until you fully gain my trust. And then you'll do whatever you planned to do in our village, then get out and who knows what will you do next?"

"Kakashi, I just didn't tell you that I did not go back to the penthouse."

"And that you secretly went out without telling me."

"Is that why you're mad at me? That I did not tell you that I did not go back to the penthouse? Is that the reason why you searched the whole village looking for me, then immediately grabbed me and teleported with me back here in your office? Is that it? Is it that petty?"

Kakashi did not answer. He just looked at her.

"I didn't go back to the penthouse because what will I do if I go back there? Just stare out of the window and think of anything until I resolve that I really should just infiltrate your village then sell whatever information I could gather? I did not go back to the penthouse because there's nothing for me to do there. So I went outside, then I saw Naruto and he told me he's studying for him to become the Hokage. So I offered to help him and he accepted and I helped him study. Then lunchtime came and they asked me to come with them and have ramen. But instead of eating with them, I decided to just take out my food and bring you some so that we could both enjoy the delicious ramen that they've been bragging about!"

She roughly dropped the take out on his table that the soup spilled. Kakashi looked at the food.

Hanare breathe deeply as tears started to form in her eyes.

"You know Kakashi, this will never work."

Kakashi looked at her.

"You can never trust me. You can never make yourself trust me. So please, just let me go away. Or if you could not, then just lock me down and imprison me. That's better than just let me live in you lavish penthouse hoping that the time will come that you could learn to trust me. Because it won't happen, Kakashi. You will never learn to trust me."

As tears flowed through her face and her sobs made her choke, Hanare ran and returned to the penthouse as fast as she could. She did not bother to explain to Granny Kagerō who saw her when she went inside. She just ran straight to her room where she cried on her bed and let out all the hurt that she just felt.

Yes, it felt so bad. Really, really bad. Why couldn't Kakashi trust her? Jiraiya did, and even Itachi believed her when she told him she works for the Hidden Leaf. But why couldn't Kakashi do it?

And it hurts more knowing that the person who could not learn to trust her is the same person that she wants to trust her the most. Not only because Kakashi is her boss, or he is the Hokage and he's the one who could help her, who could protect her.

It's because Kakashi is that boy who rescued her back then when she was lost. He's that guy who let her go that afternoon by the cliff and made her want to live a different life. He's the person that made her want to change her ways and become someone better, someone important, someone who belongs.

Someone who could be trusted.


	16. Chapter 14

The Ichiraku Ramen take out sits silently on Kakashi's desk, and he has been staring at it silently for hours now. He doesn't even know how he managed to stay there for that long. Luckily, there has been no one who came into his office after Hanare dashed outside and back to the penthouse.

He assumes she's now back to the penthouse. Or, has she managed to run away completely? For a moment when he saw her ran away, he wanted to come after her because he was worried that she might totally escape and leave Konoha. Isn't that what he was worried about the most? Hanare leaving Konoha with all the valuable information that she has gathered against the village.

Or maybe, he's just worried about her.

Who wouldn't be? Kakashi is repeatedly telling that to himself as the thought of the crying Hanare sends torment to his mind. His heart seems to get stabbed every time he remembers Hanare's face that showed how much he hurt her. How much he betrayed her.

Darkness has already set on the Konoha sky. Maybe it's time for him to go to the penthouse now and face whatever he has to. He stood up, was about to walk towards the door, then stopped to pick up the take out on his table. He does not know, but maybe it is better for him to see the take out for as long as he needs to remember the wrong that he has done a while ago.

Granny Kagerō was still at the penthouse when he arrived. She immediately approached him upon seeing him enter the living room and reported what had happened that added to Kakashi's misery.

"Lord Hokage! It's good that you're here. Lady Hanare came in this afternoon. She was crying and went straight to her room. I tried talking to her, but she said she's not feeling well and she wants to be alone and rest."

And so, Hanare is in the penthouse. She hasn't left and is still at the village. Does this mean he has another chance to make it up to her?

"I'll go check up on her," he said to Granny Kagerō.

"Yes," the old lady said. "I've prepared dinner. I'm just waiting for some dish to finish cooking."

Kakashi nodded. Then he remembered the Ichiraku take out he's holding.

"Granny..." He does not know what to say. He just handed the take out to Kagerō.

"Oh! You have Ichiraku!" The old lady took it from him.

"Someone brought that earlier to the office."

"And you did not eat it again? Oh Lord Hokage! You should really learn how to take care of yourself. This has gone cold, but this is still as good. I will reheat this for you."

"Thanks."

Granny Kagerō proceeded to the kitchen. And so Kakashi felt that he should also go to where he is supposed to go – to Hanare's room.

The path he had to take were not easy. There seems to be that force that seems to keep him from taking the steps to Hanare's room. Probably gravity. Probably shame.

When he arrived at his destination, it took him a few seconds before he was able to knock to the door and call Hanare.

"Hanare..."

There was no response. It made him feel resigned. But he still continues because he knows he has to fix whatever wrong he's done.

"Hanare, it's me. I hope you could let me enter and talk to you."

There was a pause. Kakashi has sensitive hearing and could figure out what might be happening inside the room, but it seems that he lost that talent that moment and was wondering so hard what might have been happening inside.

"Come in..."

He opened the door – slowly – and went inside. Hanare is standing by the window, facing him. He closed the door behind him and prepared himself for the speech that he has not prepared himself to make.

"Hanare, I came here to apologize about what happened earlier," he started. "I know it was wrong to assume..." Then his mind went blank.

Luckily, Hanare seems to have something to tell him.

"If I tell you everything, would you promise to listen? Would you promise to believe, or at least try to believe in what I will tell you?"

He was surprised, so he wasn't able to answer but nod. And also, he does not know what to say.

Hanare took a deep breath to prepare herself for the revelation.

"That time by the cliff, when you let me go. I did not return to the Lock Village. I went rogue."

Now, that was a revelation. After that incident, he did not hear anything about her. He hasn't seen her until when she arrived here in Konoha by the giant toad. Though, there was that one time after Pain's invasion...

"I went to places... to different countries... but not as a shinobi, but as a civilian. I tried so hard to get away from the life that I used to have. I do not want to go back. The Hidden Lock Village is where I grew up and became who I am, but it never felt like home as much as I felt back then when I came to Konoha and met you."

There was that feeling of unwelcome satisfaction that took over Kakashi. He brushed it off to focus on what Hanare is telling him.

"I thought I will be able to make it. Live my life peacefully, as a nobody. Maybe have my own family – get married and have kids."

Kakashi frowned. That was something that did not sound so appealing to him.

"But the Lock will not let me go that easily. After a few months of hiding and having a peaceful life, they were able to find me. They pursued me, tried to get me back. But I refused, so I ran. It was hard, being alone in a situation where you could use a friend to help you hide, to hide you. I have nowhere to go. For once, I thought of going back to Konoha. But if I do that, what guarantee would I have that you will accept me with open arms and not as a criminal?"

She is right. Kakashi might have wanted to help her, but the rest of Konoha will never believe in her. Especially the old Konoha that he knows.

"So I did my best to run away. It was hard, and I got beaten so hard. I thought that time I would be defeated and that they will have me again. But somebody helped me. He was a doctor, or a scientist. He healed me. He gave me shelter, food, made me strong again. I thought he was a good man, but I was wrong. He wanted to use me. He wanted to get my DNA. He said he'll be making super ninjas, and he will use the DNA that he got from ninjas with special powers and abilities. He seems to know who I am. He said my jutsu is perfect to make the ninja perfect for infiltration and espionage."

He remembered Yamato, and how he got the first hokage's jutsu.

"Orochimaru?" he asked.

"No, but he was working for him. They were able to take some blood samples from me, but before they could perform further experiments, a guy broke into the facility. He was a powerful shinobi that the scientist who had me was so scared he just ran away with his team, or some who managed to escape with him."

"Who was this powerful shinobi?"

"One of the three great sanins. Jiraiya. And he became my master."

Master Jiraiya. Kakashi could not believe what Hanare just told him. Jiraiya became Hanare's master? But how come Naruto does not remember her?

"It was a secret, between the two of us," Hanare said, as if answering Kakashi's question. "And, well, Itachi Uchiha."

Itachi Uchiha? As in the Itachi Uchiha of the Akatsuki? Kakashi was too shocked to even verbalized what he was thinking.

"Master Jiraiya made me an assistant and assigned me into his Akatsuki project. He was trying to get as much information about the group so that he could protect the village from whatever danger they might bring. So he sent me, and that's how I met Itachi. You know Itachi is also working for the Hidden Leaf, right? That he joined Akatsuki because he also wanted to protect the village from the group. Sadly, it was very hard to do since Pain is very mysterious. It was very complicated."

And not only that. It seems that Hanare does not know about Tobi or Madara or Obito. That was actually the ultimate goal of the Akatsuki, and not Pain's vision.

"When Master Jiraiya died, and eventually Itachi, I stopped doing ninja stuff again. I went back to how I used to be before that doctor found me. it was easier this time, because everyone seems to be at peace. And also, I became stronger from before. In the Lock Village, they teach us so much about infiltration, but not that much about combat. Master Jiraiya taught me some techniques that I could use in protecting myself. And so I was able to escape. But again, it was just me, and they are an entire village. That is how I ended up here in Konoha."

How could she possibly believe he would believe her? With all that she had said, she made it harder to believe her. But looking at her eyes right now, that conviction of wanting him to believe her, makes Kakashi's skepticism slowly fading.

"Everything that you said is very hard to believe. I'm saying this because I want to be honest with you, because I feel like you have been honest with me. But it's hard, believing in a story that I could not prove."

"I understand," Hanare said. "But if you could not trust me, then please just let me go. I am begging you. It was not my intention to steal information from you. I did not even think of going here if not because of Gamabunta. At least, please give me that option."

"If I let you go, what would you do with those who want to capture you? You were almost lifeless when Gamabunta took you here."

Hanare looked at him. She does not know how to answer that question. He somehow felt relieved that she could not argue with him. He has been through a lot that whole day that all he needs now is triumph in every discussion that he will be having with anyone, especially Hanare.

"You can stay here. I promise to try my best to believe you and trust you, but I hope you understand that it will be very hard to completely trust you. It might take time, but I know it's not impossible."

Hanare nodded, as if agreeing to what he said. Kakashi took a deep breath, a sign of relief that whatever happened today has finally ended, though everything that Hanare told him only gave him a lot more to think about.

Three knocks on the door concluded their conversation. Kakashi opened the door and Granny Kagerō peeped in.

"I've finished the cooking and reheated the take out," she said. "Lady Hanare, are you feeling better?"

"Yes, Granny. Thank you and sorry for making you stay late," Hanare said.

"Oh, don't you worry about that," the old lady said.

"Granny Kagerō, let me ask an Anbu to accompany you home," Kakashi said.

"Oh, it's okay, Lord Hokage," Kagerō said.

"I insist. Let's go to the living room for me to summon an Anbu." Kakashi looked at Hanare. "Hanare."

Hanare smiled. "See you at dinner."

And that made Kakashi totally relieved. As he accompanies Granny Kagerō to the living room, he knows that whatever he and Hanare had this afternoon has already been resolved.


End file.
